Understanding your values and beliefs is an important aspect of personal growth and learning. While values are deeply held ideas that we hold to be important, beliefs are the convictions, or assumptions, that we generally hold to be true, usually without actual proof or evidence. They are often, but not always connected to religion. A belief is an internal feeling that something is true, even though that belief may be unproven or irrational.

Beliefs grow from what we see, hear, experience, read and think about and they influence how we see ourselves and others. We tend not to question our beliefs too deeply as we see them as truths. Beliefs are layered over our values and generally fall into the categories of empowering beliefs and of limiting beliefs.

Empowering beliefs are the ones that make us feel powerful and let us feel that we belong in the world. Empowering beliefs help us towards decisions, behaviour and thinking that create forward momentum. Limiting beliefs, based on assumptions that may not be true, do the exact opposite and keep us stuck in undesirable states and positions.

Understanding our beliefs allow us to deal with it and often allow us to move forward when especially limiting beliefs are shown to be untrue.

This exercise is best run on your own, or with someone that is trusted. Be brutal and don’t shy away from controversy and painful beliefs.